SWIFT, RICHARD [SSNE 1446]
Text source
Richard Swift served as an agent and courier on behalf of several people in and around the Baltic in the early 1600s. He served in some capacity with Sir John Merrick in the negotiations at Stolbova in 1617 for which he was apparently rewarded by the Swedish king, Gustav II Adolf. In 1627 he acted as a courier for Sir James Spens of Wormiston to Gustav Adolf while en-route to Muscovy. He again took on a role as agent to Muscovy on behalf of the House of Stuart in the early 1630s.
Sources: Riksarkivet, Stockholm, Anglica 3, f.79. James Spens to Gustav II Adolf, 2 February 1627; The National Archives, London, SP/92/2; G. M. Bell, A Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives 1509-1688 (London, 1990); G. P. Herd, 'General Patrick Gordon of Auchluchries - A Scot in Seventeenth Century Russian Service', Ph.D. thesis, Aberdeen, 1994.
Service record
- STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN, RUSSIA
- Arrived 0000-01-01, as 1617-02-01
- Departed 0000-01-01
- Capacity AGENT, purpose DIPLOMACY
- STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN, SWEDEN, RUSSIA
- Arrived 1627-02-02
- Departed 0000-01-01
- Capacity AGENT, purpose DIPLOMACY, TRADE, MERCANTILE
- STUART KINGDOMS, RUSSIA
- Arrived 1633-10-01
- Departed 1635-07-01
- Capacity AGENT, purpose DIPLOMACY